OFFICIALS in Sudan say they have captured an electronically tagged vulture suspected of spying for Israel.

The discovery was made in Kereinek, a town in the Darfur region of western Sudan, Israeli media have reported.

Sudanese officials are said to have concluded that the bird was a secret agent after discovering it was fitted with GPS and solar-powered equipment capable of broadcasting images via satellite, according to Haaretz newspaper.

The vulture also had a tag attached to its leg with "Israel Nature Service" and "Hebrew University, Jerusalem", leading to accusations that it was on an Israeli surveillance mission. Israeli officials have acknowledged that the bird had been tagged with Israeli equipment but insisted it was being used to study migration patterns.